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TRANSCRIPT FROM MEET THE PRESS 19OCT2008
COLIN POWELL STATES,”and there's going to be acrisis come along in the 21st or 22nd of January that we don't even know about right now!!”
SEE PAGE 3 OF THIS DOCUMENT FOR IN-TRANSCRIPT STATEMENT!!
Original Transcript here (as of 23Oct2008 1200CST):
Full Meet The Press Video Clip Here (Reference Minute 2:30 for 20 seconds):
MR. TOM BROKAW: Our issues this Sunday: He served as President George W. Bush'ssecretary of state and was once called the man most likely to become the nation's firstAfrican-American president. He has been courted by both the Obama and McCainpresidential campaigns and said this last month:(Videotape)GEN. COLIN POWELL (RET.): I have been watching both of these individuals. I knowthem both extremely well, and I have not decided who I'm going to vote for yet.(End videotape)MR. BROKAW: Is he now ready to make an endorsement in this presidential race? Whatare his thoughts on the major issues facing the country and the world? Our exclusiveguest this Sunday, former Secretary of State General Colin Powell.Then, with 16 days to go, Decision 2008 heads into the home stretch. What states stillare in play? We will hear the latest on some new state polls with NBC's political director,Chuck Todd. Also, insights and analysis on the race to the White House with DavidBrooks of The New York Times, Jon Meacham of Newsweek magazine, Andrea Mitchell of NBC News, and Joe Scarborough of MSNBC's "Morning Joe."But first, General Colin Powell, welcome back to MEET THE PRESS.GEN. POWELL: Thank, thank you, Tom.MR. BROKAW: We indicated in that opening, there is a lot of anticipation and speculationabout your take on this presidential campaign. We'll get to that in a moment. But inyour old business we might call this a tour of the horizon. Whoever's elected president of the United States, that first day in the Oval Office on January 21st will face this: anAmerican economy that's in a near paralytic state at this time; we're at war in twodifferent countries, Afghanistan and Iraq; we have an energy crisis; we have bigdecisions to make about health care and about global climate change. The president of the United States and the Congress of the United States now have the highestdisapproval ratings that we have seen in many years. In all your years of public service,have you ever seen an incoming president face such daunting challenges?
GEN. POWELL: No. I have seen more difficult times in our history. I think about theearly '70s when we were going through Watergate, Spiro Agnew, Nixon period, that wasnot a good time. But right now we're also facing a very daunting period. And I think thenumber one issue the president's going to have to deal with is the economy. That's whatthe American people are worried about. And, frankly, it's not just an American problem,it's an international problem. We can see how all of these economies are now linked inthis globalized system. And I think that'll be number one. The president will also have tomake decisions quickly as to how to deal with Iraq and Afghanistan. And also I think thepresident has to reach out to the world and show that there is a new president, a newadministration that is looking forward to working with our friends and allies. And in my judgment, also willing to talk to people who we have not been willing to talk to before.Because this is a time for outreach.MR. BROKAW: Given the state of the American economy, can we continue our militarycommitments around the world at the level that they now exist?GEN. POWELL: We can. I think we have to look as to whether they have to be at thatlevel. But we have the wealth, we have the wherewithal to do that. (Clears throat)Excuse me, Tom. We have the ability to do that. And so, first and foremost, we have toreview those commitments, see what they are, see what else is needed, and make surewe give our troops what they need to get the job done as we have defined the job. Wehave that ability.MR. BROKAW: If you were called into the Oval Office on January 21st by the newpresident, whoever it happens to be, and he said to you, "General Powell, I need fromyou your recommendation on where I begin. What should be my priorities?" Wherewould you start?GEN. POWELL: I would start with talking to the American people and talking to theworld, and conveying a new image of American leadership, a new image of America's rolein the world.The problems will always be there,
and there's going to be a crisiscome along in the 21st or 22nd of January that wedon't even know about right now
. And so I think what the presidenthas to do is to start using the power of the Oval Office and the power of his personality toconvince the American people and to convince the world that America is solid, America is
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